I Won!

I was so lucky to win a giveaway from Miranda at the Tatting Fool blog. This package arrived very quickly, and my first thought was why was, it so big and heavy? It turned out there was an extra surprise inside--a package of Biscochitos, the official cookie of New Mexico, flavored with cinnamon and anise. I do love cinnamon. I had enough will power to wait until I charged the camera battery and took the picture. But since then, I've been eating quite a lot of them. Will power only goes so far, you know ;)

There were three thread samples, and not just any thread, but HDT by Lady Shuttlemaker and Yarnplayer. Plus, a snowflake made with each thread so I can see how they work up. The snowflakes are all Miranda's designs, and I especially like the one in the middle. My picture is pretty poor, but I can tell you these are very nicely done.

There are Delica beads and Gingher scissors with a leather point protector in a little tin. Three crochet hooks, two of them the tiny sizes great for pulling beads onto picots, and one with a comfort handle. And everything in a pretty re-usable fabric bag.

Thank you Miranda, for being so generous!

A Gift and a New Challenge

My friend Ridgewoman recently surprised me with a gift of this book, Spitzen Ideen by Susanne Schwenke. Since many of the patterns have block tatting, she said it made her think of me. It is is a delightful little book and I am very grateful to have it.

It is a German book, but it is very easy to understand. There are clear diagrams for each pattern, and there is a German/English glossary of tatting terms used in the patterns, which are written short hand style. It has edgings and insertions, snowflakes, and Easter eggs.

This is my favorite pattern, which came out around 5 inches diameter in size 30 thread.

I made this snowflake next, chosen for the pretty block tatting in the design. I an sure I will be making more designs from this book in the future.

On another note, most of you are probably aware of the 25 Motif Challenge. Sharon began this a few years ago as a way to encourage tatters to see if they could finish 25 pieces in a year. She and her team post pictures of everyone's progress. Viewing that blog is always interesting, and has led me to meeting new people and learning of patterns, threads, and books that I "must" have. The basic guidelines are here. She lets each person define what a motif may be, which has ranged from a single earring to a large doily. Some participants choose to further refine their own challenge, for example, to make 25 animals or snowflakes. I am ready to begin again, and for this time around I will count only motifs made from books. I have some new books and some old ones that have been neglected too long. Don't worry, I'll still be making fun stuff from online patterns, and designing some of my own, but only patterns from books will count toward my challenge, to make it more, er, challenging. So these will be the first two for the new challenge.

Eeek! Spider!

Jane recently posted instructions for a new method for tatting a floating chain, with this spider pattern to try it out. Floating chains are really fiddly for me, (think split chain with one end that won't stay put) so I thought this was worth a try.

Well, the tatting part goes pretty easy, but when I pull the thread end back through the stitches, I have a terrible time with the thread twisting and tangling. Those of you who don't tat as tightly as I do (ie, almost everyone) may not have so much of a problem. Anyway, it was a fun exercise, and a potentially useful new technique.

Peacock Blue

Sometimes I buy thread colors because I have a project in mind. Sometimes I buy a random ball of thread because the color calls out to me. This thread was all but jumping up and shouting at me. This is Lizbeth 657. The label calls it Ocean Turquoise Dark, but I call it peacock blue. I love this thread. In real life, it's brighter and just a tiny bit greener than it shows on the screen.

First, I made the Luna moth pattern shared by Pamela (Totus Mel) here. Then I teamed it up with some bright yellow and worked Sharren Morgan's Flag Tail Dragonfly from this year's Palmetto Pattern CD. I had enough thread left on the shuttles to make a little parasol by Karey from an issue of Tatting Times.

I'll be looking for more things to make with this thread.

This makes more than enough motifs to wrap up this round of my 25 Motif Challenge. The theme this time had been any motif that I did not design myself. I'll just start over again soon.

More Challenge Motifs

I've been tatting up a storm lately. Here are a handful of projects in no particular order. (That's because I can't remember the sequence I made them...)

This bookmark is Pamela Kite's "Christina Edging" from Georgia's Tatting Online book. The threads are Lizbeth variegated #130 and Raspberry Pink #623. I got samples of these through the Thread Exchange Blog. I know people love or hate Lizbeth thread. Well, I love this variegate, and it's on my list to buy. Instead of trying to use an entire exchange sample for a project, I just wound a shuttleful of both, so I have some left over for something else.

This is Anne B's Seahorse Dragon, adapted from a pattern by Deb Arnold. This is a wonderful pattern (and so is the original seahorse). Anne has great designs and we both love dragons. The threads are a handpainted thread by Karey Solomon and a silver/grey Lizbeth. I love Karey's threads because of the way the colors flow at random. Click here for Jane's recent interview with Karey about her threads.

This one is theBlooming Trellis Bookmark by Eliz (Tatknot). This is worked in assorted vintage size 70/80. Most Celtic type designs are worked in three parts, but her takes just two.

This last one is Lauren Snyder's "Pearl Tatted Bookmark", also from the Tatting Online book edited by Georgia. I always thought this one looked intimidating, but I finally gave it a try. (Sorry the picture isn't great. I've lost my pale blue paper that I liked to use as a background for white.)

I think this makes Motifs 21-24 for my 25 Motif Challenge.

Home from the Fair

After where I left off last time, later I returned to the local fair to see how I did. (Actually that was two weeks ago, but my blog is getting further and further behind real life.) The first thing I saw was this tatting edged table cloth and napkins (Not mine!) which I was happy to see won a blue ribbon and a judge's award. I'm glad she got this recognition, and luckily for me, this was entered in a luncheon set category where I wasn't competing.

Here's a closer look:


I chose the category "item decorated with tatting" for my handkerchief, and was delighted to win the blue ribbon.

I saw only one other entry in this category, a pillowcase, I think. Please forgive the over-cropped picture. (I wonder if the crafter meant it to be displayed in that ziplock bag? I've learned it's wise to give instructions about removing protective covering for a competition.)

Since that's the only tatting-dedicated category in the "Adult" age group, I have to be creative in using other categories. Here you see my Elgiva Nicholl's heart entered under "Needlework, any other", and the Workbasket Crinoline Lady as "Needlework, picture".

The third place ribbon for "Needlework, any other" also went to tatting. I think this is Ruth Perry's Celtic Cross. I think this tatter is new to the fair, so I'm really happy to see that.

I entered one of my button necklace sets under "Jewelry, miscellaneous".

My angel from Ineke Kuperij's Nativity book won for "Decorations, Christmas tree".

I also entered "Crochet, any other" ...

... and "Basketry, basket or tray". (I made that basket quite a while ago, but there's no time limit for this fair.)

The final score came to five blue and two red ribbons, a very good result. Please keep in mind that my local fair does not have that many entries, so I'm not facing a whole lot of competition. Sometimes I feel a little guilty, greedily snapping up easy prizes, but I'm trying to promote crafting locally. I really would be happy to face more competition, so I'm hoping to see more tatting next year. I'm already planning what to make, and crossing my fingers that the pick-up day won't fall while I'm out of town for Palmetto 2011.

Handkerchief Time

My first goal after the Palmetto weekend was to edge a handkerchief to enter in the local fair. I had a vintage hanky I must have picked up at a yard sale sometime. I used some size 40 Lizbeth thread that I got while I was there. Size 80 would have been more appropriate for the fabric, but I knew I would never get that size completed in time.


I searched for an edging pattern that would use just a little pink, and found the perfect one in the book "A Tatter's Workbook". Since it's mostly chains, I only had to refill my bobbin once, as an added bonus. Slope and roll joins instead of lock joins worked well to minimize pink spots where I didn't want them.

This was a big project for me, 54 inches of lace, 7/8 inch wide. Look how much thread it took, compared to an unused ball:


I was really happy with the tatting, though perhaps my decision to sew it on with blue thread wasn't the best since I had trouble keeping the stitches even. I finished it in the wee hours one night and dropped it off at the fair the next morning.